Pakistan orders reporters to leave

Wednesday 10 January 2007 00:11 BST

Three British journalists have been ordered to leave Pakistan as Gordon Brown was urged to intervene in the country's deteriorating situation.

Isambard Wilkinson, Colin Freeman and Damien McElroy - who work for the Telegraph Group - were given 72 hours to depart amid complaints that coverage had been "derogatory" towards Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf.

The focus of the dispute is a leading article which appeared in the Daily Telegraph, and suggested that Western powers had previously regarded General Musharraf as "our sonofabitch".

"The language used of the president of Pakistan in your leading article is offensive and flouts the norms of decent journalism," he wrote. "For a newspaper of The Daily Telegraph's reputation to resort to such derogatory language is highly regrettable."

The row came as concern continued to grow over the situation in Pakistan, which has been worsening since General Musharraf declared a state of emergency last Saturday.

Led by Jemima Khan, the ex-wife of Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, the demonstrators chanted slogans and waved banners, calling General Musharraf a "butcher" and a "terrorist".

Hina Jilani, a Supreme Court lawyer, said: "My message to Gordon Brown is that he must not allow Pakistan to go the way of Zimbabwe - Pakistan must be supported so we can save our country."

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said it was aware that the journalists had been advised to leave, and was "seeking clarification".

"The High Commissioner in Pakistan is investigating the circumstances and we are in close discussions with the Telegraph in London," she said. "We believe media freedom is essential to economic and social development and stability and actively support the evolution of a free and fair press in Pakistan."